The Loner’s Home

I returned to a house with no lights on and started making dinner. Today, it’s Western-style—hamburger steak and corn soup. I had Japanese food for lunch, after all.

“Alone at school, alone at home. Even at my part-time job, I work solo. I really am all by myself.”

Even if I talk to myself at home, no one’s going to answer. My mom and sister have passed away, and I’ve never met my father—he wasn’t around from the time I was born. I live alone in the house Mom left me, a high schooler managing on his own. Financially, I’m surprisingly okay. Being male, I get government assistance, and I’m even exempt from taxes until I graduate from college—pretty generous benefits.

“Alright, the hamburger steak looks about ready.”

I moved the hamburger steak from the frying pan onto a plate, poured the corn soup and rice into bowls, brought them to the table, and sat down.

“Thank you for the meal.”

I started with the hamburger steak.

“Oh! Not bad today. The meat is tender, and the doneness is just right.”

If you want to be a true loner, you have to handle cooking and housework. I’m good at household chores, so I’m dedicated to the loner path. It’s no wonder I end up putting so much effort into cooking.

“The corn soup has a nice natural sweetness. Pretty high quality today.”

I can’t help but pat myself on the back. This one’s a personal success.

“Huh, a phone call? A call for me is like one of those school mysteries. Who could it possibly be?”

I took out my phone from my pocket and checked the screen—it's from Yuki-san. I should probably answer if it’s her.

“Hello, Yuki-san?”

“Yes.”

“Is something wrong? Did I forget to tell you something?”

“No, I just thought you seemed tired today…”

She really is worrying about me… I feel kind of bad.

“Ah, I’m really sorry. I even dozed off during work; my apologies.”

“No need to apologize. Have you eaten properly?”

“Yes, I’ve eaten. Hamburger steak and corn soup tonight.”

“Sounds delicious. I’m having oyakodon and soup.”

“That sounds nice too. Everything you make sounds delicious, Yuki-san.”

“Thank you. And please remember to stay warm after your bath.”

“I’m good, don’t worry. I’m being careful with my health.”

“Alright then, I’ll be going to the bath myself now. Goodnight.”

“Yes, goodnight.”

Now that I think about it, this was my first call since I got a smartphone! Yuki-san is the only contact in my phonebook. And as for the trendy messaging app LIME, I don’t know a thing about it. Apparently, it’s for messaging, but since I don’t have any friends, I haven’t even bothered to download it. 

“Smartphones are just gaming devices. That’s the classic loner experience. Mine is definitely a game machine too!”

Enough with the nonsense—I need to wash up and take a bath. Dishes are easy, and the bath just needs water.

As I did the dishes and waited for the bath to fill up, I thought, “Who knew the student council president would be like that? Best to avoid her, though. Getting involved would definitely drag me into something extra.”

Ah! The bath timer just went off. The dishes are done, so I’ll hop in.

The water’s perfect, washing away the day’s fatigue. I’m already feeling sleepy. They say feeling sleepy in the bath isn’t like regular sleep, it’s more like passing out. But whatever.

“Guess I’ll go to bed early today. Yuki-san went out of her way to check on me.”

After drying off and getting into my sleepwear, I headed to the family altar before bed.

“Mom, Sis… I’m starting my second year now. There’ll be ups and downs, but I’ll take it easy and do my best. Goodnight.”

I turned off the living room light, went to my room, and lay down to sleep.

***

“Ugh… morning already…”

I glanced at the clock from my futon—it was about 5:45 a.m. I woke up a bit early, but I don’t feel like I can go back to sleep. Might as well take out the trash. Some fresh air will help wake me up.

“Alright, let’s go.”

Living alone, I don’t make much trash. It’s only one small bag. The trash area is just a minute away, and at this hour, I don’t run into anyone. Convenient.

“Let’s see… burnables go here, and plastics go there.”

After sorting the trash, I turned to head back home and saw someone.

“Good morning.”

“Fufu, good morning, Yuuki-kun.”

I recognized the voice and looked over at the speaker’s face.

“Is that you, Saeko-san?”

This is Harukawa Saeko, my neighbor. She’s not just any neighbor, though. Her daughter is my age and goes to the same school. But her daughter has despised me for five years now, so I don’t bother thinking about it anymore.

“You’re up early, Yuuki-kun. I wish my daughter would follow your example.”

She said with a hand on her cheek and a smile. Honestly, for a high schooler’s mom, she’s incredibly young-looking. Beautiful too—light brown hair with soft waves, strong eyes that somehow make her face even more attractive.

“Glad to see you’re doing well, Saeko-san. Well, I’ll be going now.”

“Wait a moment?”

Her relaxed tone made me stop.

“Is something wrong?”

“I was just wondering if things are going better with my daughter…”

“Ah, no, she still dislikes me as much as ever. But I don’t mind anymore.”

“I see… I’m sorry for stopping you.”

Even when apologizing, a beauty is still a beauty.

“No worries. Well, I’ll be off for real this time.”

“Fufu, do your best at school.”

“Yes!”

After taking out the trash, I went home and made a simple breakfast. Just toast, a fried egg, bacon, and coffee. I ate it leisurely while reading the news and some web novels on my phone.

“Guess it’s time to head out.”

I changed into my uniform, grabbed my bag, and started my usual, invisible loner life.

---

Author's Note:

This time, I wrote about my daily routine at home. Next time, it’ll probably be a school story.

Looking forward to your feedback and ratings. Thanks for the support!

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